Starting Again
by Archanem
Summary: After Aang's friends are murdered, something happens to turn his life around. Is it too good to be true? Postwar. My first fanfic. Hope you enjoy.
1. Alone

**Hi, this is my first Avatar fanfic, hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

**Text Formats:**

**Speech/Narration**

**_Thought/ Setting_**

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_Chapter 1: Alone_

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_Fire Nation_

Ty Lee was doing her hair when Azula walked into her room. _Oh no, I just got back from the last 'find the Avatar' mission. I am not going back out to search this soon. _"Ty Lee, I want you to go look for-" Azula was cut off. "NO!" Ty Lee shrieked. "I am not leaving again so soon!" Azula's quick temper struck just then. "No? Did you honestly just tell ME, your Firelord, as well as your best friend, no? You are a disgrace to the Fire Nation! You are hereby banished!"

Ty Lee had a look of confusion on her face. "Can you even do that?" she asked, cocking her head. "Technically, no, since you haven't committed a crime," Azula spat, "but I can make your life in the Fire Nation miserable. Traders won't sell to you, civilians won't interact with you, even the animals will shun you. You will live in Hell unless you leave here."

"Okay, fine," Ty Lee had had enough. She gathered her things, not much since she learned to pack light in the circus, and stormed past Azula out the door. She knew that Azula was glaring at her, and oddly enough, the thought of her former friend's rage made her happy. She felt like she was finally out of the cage that Azula had trapped her in for so long. The only downside was that she had to leave her home.

As she left, Ty lee considered buying an animal to ride, but she always preferred traveling by foot, and she needed to conserve her money, so she decided against the idea. She stooped for a second while deciding on a route to take, and finally settled on going North. She headed off in that direction before realizing that she knew little about the geography of the other nations, so she grudgingly bought a map.

-_A few days later-_

As Ty Lee exited the Fire Nation, she saw a familiar figure in the sky, getting lower to the ground near what appeared to be a canyon. _Why would the Avatar be so close to the Fire Nation alone, especially after Azula's prison break and rise to power?_ Well, since there was no one and nothing else around, it looked like she was about to find out.

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_-Above the Western Air Temple-_

Aang was furious. If anything else happened tonight, he was going to go permanently into the Avatar State. He couldn't believe what had happened, so many terrible things, all in one night. Why would Zuko do something like this? Had he really sent 100 Fire Nation soldiers after them in Omashu with orders to leave none alive? Unless the General was lying, or Zuko wasn't the Firelord anymore, he had.

_-Flashback-_

_They were surrounded, at least 100 Fire Nation soldiers had swarmed seemingly out of nowhere, and began attacking. They were doing all they could, but three to a hundred wasn't exactly possible odds, even if they were the Avatar, his girlfriend, and the world's only metalbender. They didn't even have Sokka, since he was living with Suki on Kyoshi Island. They were defeated, and they knew it. "Go Aang!" Katara exclaimed! "You can get away! Go to the Fire Nation to figure out what the hell is happening!"_

_"No!" Aang replied, "I won't leave you!" Toph smiled weakly and sadly said, "Sorry Twinkle-Toes, but yeah you will." And with that, she slammed her foot into the ground, creating a pillar that rocketed Aang into the sky. The worst part was, he couldn't make himself stop. So he was forced to watch as the Fire Nation killed off his two best friends, and even Appa, whom Aang had loved and been connected to since childhood, was brutally murdered. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he flew away into the night._

_-End Flashback-_

Aang had gone to Kyoshi, to try to warn Sokka and Suki, but the fire nation had beaten him to it. The entire island had been reduced to a smoldering pile of ash. Someone was going to pay for this. There would be no spiritbending this time. Whoever was behind this massacre was going to recieve all of Aang's wrath, without mercy or remorse. It was then that he decided to travel to the Western Air Temple. He needed a place to calm down, as well as find a place to feel connected to his friends. Also, the few in the Fire Nation who knew of the Temple would never expect the Avatar to be so close.

And so, here he was, descending slowly to the canyon where the temple lies. Aang landed and, after checking the area for the Fire Nation troops, he jumped into the canyon and used airbending to bridge the gap to the inverted temple.

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-_Outside the Canyon-_

However, Aang had missed someone when he checked the area. Ty Lee was crouched behind a bush, watching the entire scene. _He looked pretty pissed. _She decided it was safe to venture to the canyon's edge. _Oh! I remember now! This is that upside down temple we ambushed the Avatar's group in before the war ended. Might as well try to stay here. If the Avatar won't take me in, who will?_

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**So? Did you like it? I have an idea! Tell me in a review! I am open to new ideas as well as constructive criticism, so if you want to correct me on something, feel free.**


	2. An Unexpected Ally

**Hi guys. The last chapter didn't go the way I expected it to when I started, so I'm not even quite sure what to expect. Also thanks to The Soviet for my first review. And, partially because I liked the last chapter, partially because I have no life, I'm updating again today. Oh and I abpologize if Ty Lee gets OOC, but that shuld be remedied by the next update at most.**

**Disclaimer: If you're that desparate to see it, go to page one.**

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_Chapter 2: An Unexpected Ally_

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_-The Western Air Temple-_

Ty Lee's abilities as an acrobat allowed her to climb down the canyon wall to the temple with ease. Now her only problem was finding the Avatar, and hoping he didn't kill her just for being Fire Nation. Well, as far as he knew she was. She move nimbly and carefully from room to room, to no avail. Eventually, she gave up the search to get some sleep. _Damn, where is he?_

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-_On a Ledge Under the Temple-_

Damn it, he couldn't do it. He didn't even have the guts to kill himself after he left his friends to die. He turned around and slowly earthbended his way up the rock face. He had lost all of his rage from before. He dragged his feet, making his way to the room he had chosen to sleep in. When he got there, there was someone sleeping in his bed. _It's that girl who always used to be around Azula when she tried to capture me! _He inhaled deeply and blew out enough air to knock her off the bed. She was always quick, though, and like a cat, she landed on her feet.

Aang looked at her with dead grey eyes. "If you're here to kill me, do it. Do it quickly." Ty Lee frowned, Sorry, but that's not the reason I'm here. What happened to you? You look like someone sucked the life out of you. I remember tailing you and your friends before the war, and you were never this down, not even when Appa got captured!"

And so the boy relayed to her the events of the night before. "The Fire Nation killed them. All of them. A bunch of soldiers ambushed me, Katara, and Toph. Those two saved my life, and I hate myself for it. Another group of soldiers destroyed Kyoshi Island." This is my only safe haven now, since Ba Sing Se and the other air temples have probably been burned to the ground."

Ty Lee couldn't belive what she was hearing. Katara, Toph, Sokka, and Suki were all dead? _Would Azula really do something like that?_ The more she thought about it, the more obvious the answer became. _Of course she would, it would eliminate all of the Fire Nation's greatest enemies, and, if the Avatar somehow got away, he'd feel lost, alone, alienated. Just the sort of thing she would do. And it worked. Just look at him now. _She realized something. "Hey Avatar," she tentatively remarked "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name? I mean I don't want to call you Avatar all the time, and it must get annoying-"

"Aang," he said simply, "and what makes you think you can stay here?"

She was at a loss for words. "Please! you have to let me stay! I have nowhere else to go!" The tears on her face rivaled those of Aang's just hours ago, and, despite himself, Aang's old self resurfaced, if only for a while. "Hey, stop crying. You can stay, but you seem really upset. Why don't you tell me what happened? Oh, and while you're at it, can you tell me why Zuko did all this?" The last question made her look up at him. "You don't know? Oh well, better start from the beginning."

-_Flashback-_

_Ty Lee was overjoyed, but terrified at the same time. Azula had broken out of prison. Apparently she had fashioned a throwing knife out of a few forks she save up from lunch, incapacitated her guard with it, stolen his keys, let herself out, and was now on the loose. Ty Lee knew where she was going, too. Anyone that had ever met her would know. The Palace. She was after Zuko._

_Sure enough, later that same week she showed up. The prodigy had become even more merciless than before. She killed every guard who stood in her way, making her way through the palace until she found Zuko in the war room. And so they began to battle it out. Fire ravaged the room. Blast after blast was fired, every single shot with killing intent. Every time one of the siblings seemed to get the upper hand, it was snatched away by the other. Finally, with a blast of lightning from Zuko, it seemed to be over, but as soon as he turned his back to his sister the lightning she had held in her body for a dangerous amount of time was blasted from her fingertips like water from a broken dam. The shot went clear through Zuko's head, and he crumpled to the floor, no chance of having survived the blow. Azula stood shakily, smiling at her achievement._

_The next thing she did was make her way to Ty Lee's room, exlpain in graphic detail her actions of the previous hours, and force Ty Lee, almost literally at gunpoint, to becme her right hand man. Ty Lee accepted out of sheer terror, and, as such, Azula sent her on countless missions to find the Avatar. Soon after, Mai was found dead._

_-End Flashback-_

Ty Lee finished her story with how she became an exile, and Aang could not help but take pity on the poor girl, his friends may have been murdered as well, but he hadn't had to live with and serve their killer. He could see the tears resurfacing, so he put an arm around her. "Don't worry, Ty Lee, I won't let Azula hurt you anymore."

She leaned over and cried softly into his chest. His arm felt, well, not exactly strong, but reassuring. She felt safe there. She layed down, and he went with her, as she slowly fell asleep.

As Aang drifted off, he had one last thought. _Damnit, how am I supposed to hate the Fire Nation again if someone like her comes from it?_ And with that, he wiped her tears away and fell asleep.

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**AN: Well about halfway through this chapter, I realized there hadn't been enough story behind Azula being in power, hence the flashback. Well, hope you liked it, please tell me what you think!**


	3. Devastation

**Hi guys I'm reeeeeally bored, so at least one more update today. I have completely stopped trying to plan this story, so don't ask me what happens next or any of that, because I have no idea.**

**I don't own Avatar.**

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_Chapter 3: Devastation_

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_-Western Air Temple-_

Ty Lee awoke and was disappointed for no apparent reason that Aang wasn't there. She wandered outside and found Aang cooking breakfast. She noticed there were too many eggs for one person and asked with a smirk, "Aren't you monks supposed to be vegetarians?" He looked at her and raised a brow "Aren't you Fire Nation officials supposed to be trying to kill me?" They laughed. It was so strange, they were acting like they'd known each other their whole lives, even though they just met yesterday.

"But seriously," Aang said, "All that stuff kinda seems unimportant after all that's happened." "Yeah, I know what you mean," she replied bouncing her way over to the food. "Nice to see you're back to your old cheery self," the Avatar said drily. She poked his arrow, "Same could be said about you!"

"I guess so." He gave one of his signature goofy grins as he moved the food onto two makshift plates. As soon as Ty Lee tasted the egg, she realized she hadn't eaten in a few days. She completely devoured her food, and ended up having three plates of breakfast. "Quite the appetite," Aang stated. That had reminded him of how Toph used to eat. The thought sobered him for a second, but then he was back to himself. They ate and joked for a while.

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-_Fire Nation Palace-_

Azula was getting pissed. "Damnit!" she shouted at no one in particular. She hadn't counted on the Avatar escaping her troops, and she had now killed the world's leading expert in tracking the Avatar, as well as banished her best general tracker. This was not going as planned. _Where the hell could that little bastard be?_ She stormed into the war room, now blackened and bloody from the duel t the death with her brother. Looking at the map in the center of the room, she swore there was nowhere she hadn't looked. Then she recalled a faint memory of a canyon, where the Avatar had been hiding out for a time. Why couldn't she put her finger on its location? Then she remembered. It was right outside her borders.

Azula organized an urgent war meeting. Once all of the seats were filled, she picked up every last Fire Nation symbol, and placed them all at one point. The message was clear. They would not be letting him escape again.

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-_Western Air Temple-_

Aang and Ty Lee were slowly getting over the events of the night before. They each put up such a strong emotional wall, they were beginning to convince themselves that they were fine. As it happened, they decided to go topside for some sparring. They were almost equally matched once Aang agreed not to bend fire, water, or earth. Ty Lee would jab for a pressure point, and Aang would blow her hands off course with air, eventually, this process continued for so long, and they got so in sync with one another's movements, it was like a dance. A dance where a wrong move could kill, sure, but a dance nonetheless.

Alas, eventually Aang slipped up, and Ty Lee shot out fast and got him behind the knees, causing him to collapse. "Great," he said "Now how am I going to jump into the canyon?" They stared into space for a second, realizing how ridiculous that sounded, then burst out laughing so hard that Ty Lee collapsed next to Aang.

Their oblivious bliss was not to last long, however, because that exact moment was when all hell broke loose. An unbelievable number of Fire Nation soldiers and airships had been approaching, and it was only now that the two noticed them. "Shit!" Ty Lee exclaimed, "We've got to hide!"

"Small problem." Aang said, pointing to his legs. Ty Lee had to think fast, she turned around, and for a second, Aang thought she was leaving him. Then she squatted down and yelled, "Grab on!" He wrapped his arms around her neck as she hoisted him up and ran, not daring to look back. Aang did though, he always had to look back. He saw Azula guarded by the Dai Li, apparently getting a report from a soldier that Aang wasn't there. She cried out loud enough for them to hear, then gave an order as she killed the messenger. Every last troop began burning everything in sight, including the temple. Once the canyon looked like a miniature Kyoshi, the Dai Li seperated the temple from the rock, and it fell to the ground. Aang turned his head forward and let Ty Lee take him wherever it was they were going. He fell asleep crying on her shoulder.

When he woke up, he was in a small house, he shot up when he realized Ty Lee wasn't in his sight. "So you're finally awake," came a familliar voice. "Ty Lee!" Aang sprang up and did a 180 to hug her. "Call me Ty," she said, "and what was that for?" Aang whispered in her ear, "For not leaving me back there." "Oh." she said. "Then here!" She hugged him so tight he could barely breathe. He sputtered "Wha?" She put him down. "That was for letting me stay with you."

"I guess we're even then." He stated simply. "Yup," came her cheerful reply. Aang thought for a second. "Ty, where are we?" Ty Lee replied, "A small village in the Earth Kingdom that's full of performers, people won't give you a second look here." "Smart." was his only response. Suddenly, as if conjured up, the memories of the previous two nights surfaced. Ty must have seen him tense up, because she sat next to him and asked, "Is there something wrong, Aang?" He broke then. He surged forward and wrapped his arms around her, crying into her chest. She let her arms rest on his back. "They're dead!" He screamed, "Azula killed them! She'll kill me too. I can't take on the Fire Nation alone!" She destroyed the temple! I can't do this again, Ty, I just can't." Ty Lee comforted him. "It's okay Aang, and you're not alone. We can survive together."

Aang looked up into her eyes, his were hard and determined. "Thanks Ty," he said softly, "but this isn't about survival. As long as I'm alive, I swear I will hunt down Azula and kill her without mercy. I'm tired of running, and i refuse to do it anymore." Ty lee just nodded. "I'm glad I didn't kill you at the western temple, Ty." She smiled softly at that. "So am I." And with that, they fell asleep in one another's arms.


	4. The Search Begins

**Hey guys, sorry for the wait, oh ye few who are actually keeping up with this, but I had immense writer's block at the time i was writing this. An Azula chapter! Mostly anyway.**

**I don't own Avatar**

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_Chapter 4: The Search Begins._

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_-Fire Nation- _

Azula was completely enraged. She had sent her entire army after a thirteen year old, and still, the Avatar had escaped. _Why? Why is he so impossible to capture? _She would stop at nothing to kill him now, even if it meant laying waste to her entire army! After all, she was the prodigy of the Fire Nation. She could take on the two remaining nations by herself. The Avatar was the one flaw in her perfect plan. Azula never failed to remedy a flaw. After she had calmed down a bit, she went to her quarters for some sleep. However, it turned out even her subconscious was against her.

-_Dream-_

_Azula was doing her hair in the mirror when she received such a surprise that she dropped he hairbrush. She was looking into the mirror, but her mother was looking back at her. "How could you?" her mother asked coldly. "The world was finally at peace, and then you had to go and turn it upside down again." Azula was, quite simply, speechless. Her mother was a kind, compassionate woman, who would never say something like that to anyone, much less her own daughter. "M-Mother?" The woman in the mirror looked her dead in the eye and said, "You are not my daughter." This situation was normally reversed, Azula was the one cursing her mother. But now, here she was, being disowned. _

_Suddenly, Azula's mother was gone, and in her place was Zuko. He looked at her with neither disappointment, nor rage. Instead, his face was one that would haunt her for the rest of her days. He looked upon her with sorrow. "You were taught to bend with anger, and that anger consumed you slowly, until you became nothing more than the epitome of hate." "Shut up! I overpowered you! Your ways are weaker than mine!" Se retaliated. He responded, "For a time, yes. However, Your rage and hatred will eventually lead to your downfall. I speak only from experience." What was this? It was as if Zuko was turning into their mother. He had no capacity for anger. He was her exact opposite. "You were forced to live your life with our father, and I pity you for that, but what you have become is inexcusable. The Avatar must destroy you." She was shocked once more. "You pity me? For living with fath-"_

_He was gone. In his place was Azula's uncle, Iroh. He looked at her with pure contempt. "You killed my nephew," he said in his low voice. "You deserve whatever is comng to you." She had expected this. "I don't give a shit what you think of me." He smirked darkly, "Don't you?" he said cryptically. Then the shortest visit was over._

_Then one final visitor appeared. Azula was looking now into the cold, dead eyes of her father, Firelored Ozai. Ozai spat at her. "You call yourself a Firelord? Your entire army couldn't catch a single boy!" She was pissed now. "Niether could yours! You searched for years, and you never found him!" He seemed amused. "I never converged my entire army in one place to find that the Avatar had evaded e once more." She was speechless. _

_She tried to turn and run, but suddenly she was surrounded by mirrors, each containing a figure from her past. She sank, defeated, to her knees._

_-End Dream-_

Azula shot up in her bed, sweating profusely. _What was that dream?_ She needed time to figure out what was goiing on with her, so she went into her sauna.

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-_Village in the Earth Kingdom-_

Aang woke slowly, and once he realized he was extremely close to Ty, he turned completely red. Once he had calmed down a bit, he carefully slipped out of bed, and went to make breakfast. A while later, Ty Lee walked drowsily into the kitchen. "Just in time, Ty," Aang smiled, "Breakfast's ready." Ty started to pout. "No Fair! How come you always get to cook breakfast?" Her face was so serious, Aang couldn't help but laugh, "Because I get up first." Ty Lee gave no reply, but she began to eat.

Once breakfast was over, they had absolutely no idea what to do. "What did you do with Sokka and the rest while you were in a village?" Ty Lee asked, and for a moment Aang wondered if she hadn't deliberately said Sokka instead of Katara "Well," Aang stated, "Once we had time to do what we want, Azula would usually show up and we'd have to run for our lives again. Zuko did it too, before he joined us." Ty Lee had almost forgotten about Azula, somehow, and all she had to say was, "Oh. Right." Then she snapped out of it. "So what do you want to do?"

"Well, I don't generally do anything except help people, which, I'm sorry, doesn't sound like much fun right now, so this one's all yours," Aang said. Ty thought for a moment and said, "Ooh! I know! Let's go shopping! I love to shop!" She looked so hopeful Aang couldn't say no. _She looks so cute with that sparkle in her eyes, _He found himself thinking. _ Whoa, where did that come from?_

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_-Fire Nation-_

Azula was tired of the Avatar slipping from her hands. It seemed like the only way to finish this was the old way: going after him herself. She walked to the guards in front of her door. "Bring me the Shirshu," she calmly commanded, "I'm going out." The words brought back memories of the day she obtained the remarkable beast. Azula wasn't one to reminisce, but that was such an amazing day that she couldn't help herself.

-_Flashback-_

_Azula entered the tavern, disgusted at what she saw. It was just a bunch of drunkards attacking one showboating girl who was kicking all of their asses. From what Azula knew, the girl must be Jun. She approached the girl, knocking out several drunken men as she did so. "Jun," Azula stated. "Fancy pants," the girl replied, to no small aggravation from Azula. "Look," the Firelord said, "How much gold do you wand for the Shirshu?" Jun looked blankly at her and said, "Nyla isn't for sale." That was all the excuse Azula needed. "Very well. Guards. Seize her!" _

_The guards surrounded Jun, which would have made any normal person panic, but she was used to it. She dodged and weaved gracefully through the flames spouting from their hands, allowing them to slowly take each other out. They finally got smarter when only two were left, and she upped her game. She moved faster, getting around their flames and sometimes she even made it behind them. Eventually, she had to start using her whip to wrap it up. One of them shot flame towards her. She dodged easily and lashed her whip out, hitting his hand and redirecting the next shot into the remainig guard's face. She kicked both in the stomach and turned to the Firelord.__"Anyone else?" she asked. _

_Azula had to admit, she ngwas impressed. "Sadly, all of the other guards are busy containing your mount." Jun's eyes widened at that, and Azula went on, "So I'll be your opponent now." A blast of blue fire narrowly missed Jun as Azula began to fight. They circled each other, each attacking and deflecting, in a monotonous, and yet exhilarating way. Fire, whip, fire, whip, on and on for what seemed like hours. Finally, as Jun went for an attack, her whip slipped out of her grasp, and just like that, she knew she was done for. The fight was over. Azula had won, and Nyla was now property of the Firelord. "You put up a good fight," Azula mused. "I don't think I'll kill you today." _

_Jun was dragged out of the tavern and tied up. She saw her beloved Nyla muzzled and caged, and she was broken. _Excellent, _Azula thought to herself. _Now all that's left for my tracking team is Ty Lee.

-_End Flashback-_

Ty Lee was gone now, however. So, with no other options, Azula had to track down the Avatar and kill him herself. It wasn't going to be easy, but, one way or another, it was going to be done.

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-_Town Square-_

Ty Lee looked at every shop, no matter what was sold. Her slogan seemed to be 'If it's being sold, why not buy it?' Aang felt like he was going to collapse then and there from the weight of all of her bags. "Hey Aang?" Ty looked at him. "Do you think we could stop by Ember Island sometime?" Aang had forgotten entirely about the place. Now that he thought about it, it really made the most sense to go to. "Sure, I don't see why not." The former Fire Nation girl beamed at him. "Awesome! Now come in here and help me pick out a swimsuit!" Aang didn't have time to protest as he was dragged into the store. _Oh well,_ He thought, _at least it gives me time to put these bags down. _As he thought it, he did so. He sat in front of the changing room, waiting for her to emerge, he was caught by surprise when she did.

She was wearing a pink bikini that looked a bit small for her, especially the top. It showed of a lot of skin, and as much as Aang tried, he couldn't stop staring. "So you like it?" Ty asked innocently. Aang immediately turned his head to hide the fact that his entire face was red. "What's wrong? Doesn't it look good?" She pretended to be hurt.

Ty was teasing, but Aang apparently didn't realize that. "Yes!" he said hurriedly, and she looked at him strangely. "I mean no!" He realized what he had said. "I mean- GAH!" he exclaimed. The entire shop turned to stare, and realized what was going on. The men sighed in reminiscence, while the women giggled at the situation. The whole thing was making Ty Lee happy. _He obviously has almost no experience dealing with girls, which means he never got far with Katara... _She caught herself, _What am I thinking about? _She snapped back to reality when she heard Aang mumble something.

"What was that, Aang?" she asked. He mumbled slightly louder this time, still not meeting her eyes, "It's cute. You look good." She was elated. "Thanks Aang!" She gave him a quick squeeze, much to his stuttering embarrassment, before changing back into her normal clothes and paying for the swimsuit.

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**The story has hit 5,000 words! I feel so awesome!**

**I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out! I couldn't figure out how Azula was going to find Aang, and then I didn't want to kill Jun, because she's an awesome character. But seriously guys, come on, review!**


	5. Taken Away

**Hi guys, that last chapter pumped me up and out of my writers block(hopefully) and inspired me to attempt to make this story 10,000 words before Monday. Wish me luck.**

**I still don't own Avatar, but i'm working on it.**

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_Chapter 5: Taken Away_

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-_Fire Nation-_

Azula rode the Shirshu proudly through the capital, and not a single person didn't turn their head to look at her. That was partially because of Nyla, but also partially because she had made it a law soon after ascending to the throne. She was on her way now, and not even the Avatar could evade her with a Shirshu on her side. She was unstoppable.

-_Later That Night-_

Azula was finally away from people and cities, where the Shirshu could do some damage. She removed a scorched piece of cloth, taken from the Avatar when she had "killed" him in Ba Sing Se all that time ago. She held it up to the beast's nose. "Find him," She commanded, conjuring up a fire whip and lashing the animal hard. The Shirshu began running at such a pace that Azula was nearly thrown off of it's back. She quickly regained her balance though, and cackled maniacally as she raced towards the Avatar.

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-_Tersho-_

Aang and Ty Lee had decided to stay a while in Tersho, as they discovered the town to be named. They had more than enough supplies and clothing after Ty's shopping spree. Luckily for them, just about everything was free for the Avatar. Last night, they had gotten back to their "home" late, and just crashed. Aang awoke and rolled his eyes when he heard the sounds of Ty making breakfast. He got up and changed into some new clothes from yesterday. As he walked into the kitchen, he asked, "Finally got to make breakfast, huh?" She smiled at him, "Yup, and after this, you'll want me to make breakfast every day!" It was then that Aang noticed the smell. It smelled amazing. It was like... well he couldn't figure out what it was like, but that was part of the magic. "What is it?" he asked, mesmerized. "Family recipe," she said simply, "and it's done."

Aang didn't have time to react as Ty shoved some of the food into his mouth. "Holy shit," was all he could say. She beamed. "So you like it?" Aang nodded furiously. "So, in summary, a great fighter, a great friend, a great cook. Ty, I think you might just be perfect." He said it half-jokingly, but she blushed all the same, replying only, "Shut up." Aang laughed, "Is that any way to take a compliment?" She retorted, "Is poking fun any way to treat someone who just made you the best breakfast ever?" It was in that instant that Aang realized something. "It's too normal," he said with a sigh, looking away.

Ty was puzzled, "What do you mean?" Aang looked at her, completely serious, "Think Ty, Azula wouldn't give up on finding me, just because we escaped her once. She's still out there, and she's looking for me. That doesn't really matter to me. I'd fight her in a heartbeat. But if she finds me, she finds you, and I'm not going to let her take you like she did the rest of my friends." Ty Lee was shocked at his maturity, but also at the fact that he cared so much about her. Looking deep down, she cared about him too. Looking deep down, she loved him. She leaned in to kiss him, and he began to lean in as well, then he stopped. "I can't." Ty looked at him, hurt, "What's wrong, Aang?" He looked at her as if he were about to answer, but then all hell broke loose. Again.

The Shirshu crashed through the wall, whipping its tongue out in all directions. The two were too bust dodging the animal to notice its rider until a shot of blue flame blasted through the house. "Ty Lee," Azula grinned evilly, "I should have figured you'd end up with the Avatar." The sight of her former friend sent gallons of adrenaline pumping through Ty's veins. She shot towards the girl on the beast. "AZULA. YOU. RUIN. EVERYTHING!" She screamed through swipes at the Firelord.

Azula laughed, "Awwww... Does wittle Ty have a wittle crush on the Avatar?" She blasted Ty Lee with intense flames, and even the acrobat wasn't fast enough to dodge. She flew across the room and Aang caught her. He was already angry, but his only remaining friend's unconscious body was enough to send him over the closed his eyes, and his tattoos began to glow bright enough to blind someone a mile away. He lashed out at Azula. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Azula could barely dodge. _I'm not the only one who's gotten more powerful since the war. _She thought. Then she slipped up. She jumped, but she landed on the Shirshu's tail and fell. Aang took advantage of the opportunity to batter her with his entire arsenal. A barrage of stones struck her back like bullets from a machine gun. A tidal wave of water washer her against the wall. A blast of fire burned her hands, and harsh winds jerked her around like a rag doll. When Aang paused, she raced across the room, and as he went to deal a finishing blow, he stopped. Azula, the coward, was holding Ty in front of her. Aang couldn't do anything without risking her safety.

He came out of the Avatar State, glaring darkly at Azula. Ty Lee had regained consciousness and was struggling against her captor. "Well," Azula cackled, "Seems like I did Ty Lee a favor by banishing her. Oh well, since I can't risk you hurting me as I retreat, I'll just have to take her with me." Aang watched with Horror as she began to mount the Shirshu with Ty over her shoulder. "Wait!" he cried, "Take me." Azula raised an eyebrow, "What's this?" Aang glared at her. "Take me," he said, defeated, "Let Ty go."

"Hmm, very well, you have a deal." Ty Lee's eyes widened and she shouted, "NO! Aang! Don't do it! Let her take me!" Azula tossed her to the ground. "Shut up, circus freak. Come now Avatar, we're going back to the Fire Nation Capital where, in one week's time, I shall kill you in front of the entire city." Aang walked towards the Shirshu, looking at Ty Lee with eyes that said _I'm so sorry_. He climbed on behind Azula as they began their ride to the Fire Nation.

* * *

_-On The Road, a few hours later-_

Aang was tired. He had considered making a break for it a while ago, but he figured Ty would have left by now, and Azula would probably just catch him and hurt him some more. Azula. She had killed Zuko. She had sent soldiers to ambush him, Katara, and Toph. She had Ravaged Kyoshi. She had destroyed the Western Air Temple. And now, she had captured him.

Azula decided to talk to her captive, it could be amusing. "Oh, Avatar, what a day your execution shall be. First, I will be groomed by the greatest in the nation and become the most beautiful thing in the land. Then, I shall torture you a bit in private to prepare for the big moment. Then the hour shall come, and I will burn you. I will burn you until you die. I will burn the skin off of you, and then the muscle, and finally, I will burn your bones until what was the greatest bender in the Four Nations is nothing more than a pile of ash, like your precious little Kyoshi." She paused to laugh, "Then, that very minute, I shall declare the Second Great War on the Remaining Nations."

Aang was disgusted. "You won't get away with it. Ozai couldn't, and he had Sozin's Comet. Your own nation hates you. How can you do better?"

Azula's face twisted into a grimace then. "Simple," she stated, "Ozai, the impudent fool, took far too many prisoners. I will simply kill all that is in my way."

"The other kingdoms will be prepared this time. They haven't forgotten the last war."

"Nor should they." The rest of the trip carried on in silence.

* * *

-_On a different road-_

Ty Lee wasn't sure if she was angry with Aang for leaving her alone, loved him even more for saving her life, or both. She knew one thing, though. Azula was going to die. She didn't know how or when, but she would never forgive Azula for coming between her and Aang. She had been so close. She was just centimeters away from kissing him. That still bugged her as well. Why wouldn't Aang kiss her? It was obvious the way he acted in the store, if nothing else, that he at least liked her, so why?

Oh well. Right now, that didn't matter. Right now, she was focused on reuniting with Aang. Right now, She was going for the nearest help she could remember Aang getting. Right now, she was headed for Omashu.

* * *

-_Fire Nation, Early the Next Morning-_

A guard tossed Aang his breakfast. Some kind of thing that looked like Appa hadn't been able to digest. He suddenly craved for Ty's "Family Recipe". He slowly ate the food, forcing it down his throat. He would give anything for a way out of here right now. He had thought about escape, but he had no idea what the way out was. He had no idea where he was, as he'd bee blindfolded since they entered the Fire Nation. There was no way out, according to the guards, but then again, the guards had never met an Avatar. There was no question the he couldn't escape now, though. He would need either his full strength, or help, both of which were unlikely.

He was in the middle of his thoughts about escape when Azula walked in, Aang assumed, for their daily dose of torture. He knew how it would work. He'd resist at first, then he'd gradually break down, until he was dead, even before his execution. He wasn't going to let that happen though. He would resist until the end, or until he broke free.

"Thoughts of freedom Avatar? We'll crush those soon enough." She lashed at him suddenly with a whip of fire, which he dodged just in time. She lashed out again, this time he bended the fire away. Then Azula did the worst thing she possibly could. She kissed him. Aang backed away in shock, then tripped over a stray pipe and fell. Azula laughed as she whipped his raised arms repeatedly, then left the cell. "See you tomorrow, Avatar. And in the town square in a week."

Her words echoed in Aang's mind as he did his best to rid himself of the Azula contamination on his lips. Then something stood out in his mind. The execution would be in the town square. out in the open. Where he could escape. Slowly, his mind began to formulate a detailed plan of escape. In order for it to work, he would have to do what they expected. He'd have to put on a show of resisting, then break. Once He was broken, they wouldn't bother with heavy security at his execution. Once he was broken he was imprisoned within himself. Once he was broken, he was free.

* * *

**Ok, so Aang has been captured, sure as hell didn't see that coming(sarcasm). But come on guys, you're killing me with the whole no review thing. If you like it enough to read this far, a review would SERIOUSLY be appreciated, as I am in short supply of ideas. Note: not all ideas, if any are even submitted, will be used.**


	6. Escape

**Hi, handful of people who are ACTUALLY reading this. Enjoy.**

**I STILL DON'T OWN AVATAR, OKAY? Gosh.**

* * *

_Chapter 6: Escape_

* * *

_-Omashu-_

Ty Lee had entered Omashu after 2 days of walking. She was tired as hell and she had run out of food a while back. So she bought some dinner, rented a room, and fell asleep. She awoke the next day, and almost forgot that Aang wasn't with her. She left hurriedly, and approached the palace, unfortunately, the guards refused to let her in, as they recognized her from before the war. Eventually, she decided to just fight them. The first she flipped over and blocked his bending before knocking him out. The second proved to be more difficult.

She dodged through the rocks, expertly weaving through the huge boulders flying at her. With every movement, she inched closer to the man, and finally she had gotten close enough. She dodged a final rock and went in to knock him out. Unfortunately for her, he saw it coming. He grabbed her hand, twisted it behind her back, did the same with the other, and earthbended a set of handcuffs on her. This was not going according to plan.

* * *

-_Prison Cell-_

Aang felt like a genius. His plan was working. Each day he'd put up a fight, but each day he had put up less of one. He was breaking, or so Azula thought.

He received his slop for the day, and ate it hungrily. The only thing you really have to get past with slop is the texture. It's wet and lumpy, it feels almost like eating eyeballs, and for all he knew, that's what it was. But the taste wasn't terrible. Actually, the taste was pretty much nonexistent. It was kind of like sawdust. Not to say Aang didn't hate it, it was nothing compared to Ty's cooking. after he ate about half of it the bowl tipped over and he saw a foot. Azula was here.

Azula whipped at him, he dodged, whipped, dodged. It was the normal. Today was going to be different, though. Today, he had decided to put on a show of one last rebellion, then "break" from the consequences of it. He saw his opportunity. Azula lashed her whip at him, and he put a determined look on his face. He took the fire from her, and bended it straight back at her, hitting her square in the face. She cried out and sank to her knees. When she arose, she had a scar not unlike Zuko's. The glare she gave was almost enough to turn Aang's plan inside out. She created a fire whip twice the size of the last, and attacked without mercy. Aang was able to deflect most of the blows, but his arms were beginning to look more and more like he had simply dipped them in red dye.

Once Azula had finished with her punishment, Aang put on his best defeated face. It wasn't hard. She snickered as she left. Aang was slowly recovering from the shock, as well as the pain. The strike had produced much, much more serious repercussions than he had expected, but it was worth it. Azula's rage had nearly assured his escape on the day of his execution. He had known, and he used he term loosely, Azula for a year, and he knew that she would want to feel as triumphant as possible over an enemy who had caused a blemish on her face. She would want the entire Fire Nation, and by the power of gossip, the world, to know that she had killed the Avatar without need of guards to assure her victory.

Aang was almost free.

* * *

-_Prison Cell, Omashu, 10 minutes before-_

Ty Lee was pissed with herself. She had gotten caught. She didn't have time to get caught. She slammed herself against the walls of the cell, eventually settling on just plain shouting. "Please! Someone! I have to speak with King Bumi!" A guard approached her cell, and for a second, her heart sailed. They were going to let her see him. Then it plummeted.

"Shut up, little girl. you'll get to see the king tomorrow, once he returns from Ba Sing Se and has time to decide your punishment."

_No. No. No. __No. No. No._ She thought, then her thoughts formulated into words, as she began sobbing. "No. No. No!" The tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks. She couldn't stop. She had to get king Bumi and go to the capital before Azula killed Aang. She continued on like this for hours, ignoring the guards, not caring what the other inmates think of her. All that mattered right now was Aang. And she had failed him. She hated herself. She hated the guards. She hated everything. Most importantly ,though, like a thousand firebenders in her soul, she hated Azula.

The acrobat with the pink aura climbed onto her cot, and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

-_Prison Cell, Fire Nation-_

Aang hadn't even gotten a bite of his slop today, before Azula tipped the bowl over. _Well, if I'm broken, I've got to make it believable. _He waterbended the slop off of the ground and got as much into his mouth as he could before Azula began the whipping. "How pathetic," was all she said.

This time Aang just sat there and took the torture. luckily, Azula seemed to be content with just overly burning his arms and hands. This went on for the entire scheduled hour, and the whole time Aang didn't meet his captor's eyes. Partially because of the ruse of defeat, and partially because that ruse would be broken by the fierce glare he'd give her if he looked at her.

When she was done, she left without so much as a smart remark. Aang just sat back and did what he normally did. He bended the remaining slop onto his new burns to soothe, and on occasion heal them.

* * *

-_Prison Cell, Omashu-_

"Wake up, girl," the guard sneered as he roughly shook Ty Lee awake, "the king will see you now."

Ty Lee shot out of bed, wanting to talk with the king as soon as possible. The guards escorted her to the throne room, where the old, balding crone was sitting. "So," he said inquisitively, "what's this I hear about you trying to break into my palace?"

"Please! Sir, you have to help me! Aang's in trouble!"

"I highly doubt that. Aang's the Avatar!"

"He's been captured by the Fire Nation!"

It was the guard's turn to speak , "Sir, she's been pretending to cry since we captured her. It's obviously ruse to get you alone and attack you."

"Very well, Ahosa. Your opinion is very valid to me, so i order you to escort her... to my chamber."

"What? Sir, didn't you hear me?"

"Oh, just shut up and do it."

And so, the three of them walked to King Bumi's private chambers. Once there, He asked Ty Lee to sit, and she complied, not knowing what else to do. "Ahosa, your services are no longer needed."

"Sir-" the guard was cut off. "I said leave." He did so, and the two were left alone. "Aha, so obviously he was wrong, and you weren't planning an attack. Start from the beginning."

Ty Lee was bewildered, to say the least, but she regained herself, and told the king the entire story.

"Well," Bumi said when she had finished, "as long as he has Momo, he'll be fine."

"Well, actually, your highness..."

"The bitch killed Momo too? Okay, let's go." They raced out the door, with Bumi shouting, "Guards! The girl and I are leaving!" The guards had long since given up on figuring out their leader, and so they simply nodded.

Once they were outside the city, Ty Lee had a question. "Sir, how are we going to get to the Fire Nation, it takes almost a week for me to get there on foot, and by then it will probably be too late."

"Hold on tight, little Missy," was his only response. As he said it, he earthbended a huge slab of rock from the ground. "Get on," he said as he started 'rowing', the slab was now moving much faster than they could walk. "Earthboarding," Bumi cackled, "It's the ONLY way to travel!"

* * *

-_Prison Cell, Fire Nation, 2 days later-_

Today was the day. Escape, or die trying. Aang's moment of truth. Azula entered the cell with a look of glee on her face. "Put these on, you little bastard," she snickered as she tossed him his old clothes. Then the torture began. Today was the day. Today, he had to be more broken than a possum chicken who tried to fly. He was. She didn't use a whip today, simple fire blasts were all she needed. His clothes were scorched, his body bruised.

"Come now, Avatar, time to die."

As he walked out, Aang was silently elated. She was escorting him to his death, sure. But she had no guards. No protection. No way to keep him in her grasp. They walked a while, and he realized that he recognized this place from the eclipse battle. He was in a tunnel under the Fire Nation Palace. Then he realized the implications of this. Azula had grown relaxed enough to let him see where he was. He was golden.

As they entered the town square, Aang saw an elevated platform, undoubtedly the place where he was to be executed. The crowd gasped as they saw the Avatar, burned, bruised, and broken. Azula jerked him onto the platform. "Fire Nation. You will now witness as I, Firelord Azula, the greatest firebender in the world, slay the Avatar!" Hushed whispers escaped the crowd. "Is there anyone here today who denies that this is the Avatar?" No response. possibly because they all knew it was Aang, and possibly because they were too afraid of accusing Azula of lying. "Very well. The execution shall commence." She turned to Aang.

What Azula hadn't noticed was that Aang had been gradually inhaling since she began talking. He now contained enough pressurized air to carry a plane at least five hundred miles, if planes existed. As Azula shot a bolt of lightning directly at his forehead, Aang released. Aang and Azula both flew back, and Azula's lightning was forced back at her, knocking her unconscious. Aang took advantage of the shock to form an air ball and fly away on it as fast as he could before the guards realized what was happening. By the time anyone even thought to stop him, Aang was long gone.

Now all that was left was to find Ty Lee.

* * *

-_Outside the Capital-_

Ty Lee and Bumi heard a huge bang. They rushed into the capital to see what was going on. They saw a destroyed platform, an unconscious Azula, and a bunch of angry guards. "What happened?" Ty asked someone, though in her heart she already knew.

"The Avatar has escaped." The shocked villager replied.

* * *

**Well, this chapter was pretty hard to write, since I'd gotten so used to Aang and Ty together, it's hard to write them apart.**


	7. Grim

**H guys. This chapter really ran away from me.**

**I don't own Avatar, and I'm not making a profit from this story. Well, not much of one.**

* * *

_Chapter 7: Grim_**  
**

* * *

-_Western Air Temple Ruins-_

"Good thing we got out of there before Azula woke up," Ty lee said, "We would have been toast."

"Literally," Bumi stated, laughing hysterically and snorting at his own joke. "But all joking aside, it's good to know Aang got out okay, even if Momo's dead. We still need to find him though. He's got such terrible escape timing."

"Yeah, if only you weren't so worn out, we could have caught up to him by now. Where do you think he's gone?"

"Well, knowing Aang, he doesn't go anywhere without his glider, so he'll be feeling strange not having one. I'd say he's on his way to the Northern Air Temple."

"Makes sense."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" He yelled as, without warning, he began to earthboard again, knocking Ty Lee off her feet. As an acrobat, she swiftly regained her balance.

"Sheesh, old man! Learn to warn someone!"

"Who're you calling old? ... Okay I'm old."

* * *

-_Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom-_

Aang was flying. not literally, of course as he had no glider, but he was moving fast. Faster than ever. He felt amazing. He was finally free! No more cell, no more Azula. No more slop. Just when he thought about slop, he realized how hungry he was. He stopped in the nearest town for some lunch. There wasn't much to eat, but anything was better than the slop. He had to resist the urge to shovel noodles into his mouth, as he knew that with what little he had eaten in the past week, he would most likely end up vomiting more than he ate. Finally, after he had eaten his fill, he was ready to leave.

He headed out, once again traveling to the Northern Air Temple. He needed a glider. He needed to fly again, to forget everything, to lose himself in the clouds. He needed to escape.

As he rode on towards the temple, he was stopped by a seemingly innocent old man. "Yes, sir?" Aang asked politely.

"Well, you see, I'm having trouble with my-" suddenly, the man's face hardened, and fire shot from his palms, barely missing Aang.

They went at it, but the old man was just that, old. He was no one special, either. No match for the Avatar. Aang dispatched him quickly, with a single blow. Not to say that he killed the man. He was not Azula, and he firmly refused to kill, unless absolutely necessary, or unless his opponent was Azula.

Aang got back to the road, noting not to make any more stops. He rode until he couldn't stay on his air ball, then he rode some more. Finally, when he was literally tripping over himself out of sleep deprivation, he made his way to the nearest house, and knocked slowly.

A frail looking old man answered the door. "Yes?" he asked, then he took in the appearance of the boy in front of him. "Come in, boy! My lord, you look like you've just been hit by an earth board!"

Aang wearily stepped into the house, willing his legs not to give out on him. "Sir," he said softly, "may I please stay here for the night?"

"Of course boy, of course! Marissa, we have company! Prepare the guest room if you would."

A girl that appeared not much older than Aang came from another room, and her eyes widened when she saw Aang. "Yes, Grandfather," she said as she hurried out of the room.

Aang looked gratefully at the old man, his eyes shouting a silent_ Thank you._ Soon, the girl came back. "The room is ready." She took Aang by the hand and supported him as they made their way to the guest room. She laid him down, then left the room. He fell asleep about thirty seconds later.

* * *

-_Meanwhile, a few miles back-_

"Ty Lee, we should stop for the night." Bumi was tired, and they were moving much slower than before.

"No! We can't! A few hours could make the difference between finding Aang and never seeing him again."

They were in front of an inn, and they couldn't agree on whether or not they would stay there.

"It won't matter if we find him if we die of exhaustion soon after, and I think that if Aang wants to find you, he will. I know how you feel about him," She blushed and he added, "It's obvious, but you need to realize your limits. We have to stop for tonight."

"Fine," Ty Lee said curtly.

They walked into the inn, got a room with two beds, and went to sleep. They both slept soundly, uninterrupted.

* * *

-_Old Man's House-_

Aang awoke to voices at the door. If he listened closely, he could hear them. The first was a voice he didn't recognize, so he figured it must be a Fire Nation soldier.

"...reports that the Avatar was sighted entering your house last night."

The next was the voice of the old man. "No, it's just me and my lovely granddaughter here. Hell, I'm half blind! I couldn't tell a peasant from a king, these days. No way I could know if the Avatar was at my doorstep. By all means, though, come in and search if you like."

"That won't be necessary, sir. You obviously aren't harboring any fugitives. Thank you for your cooperation and your time."

"Oh, no problem! Nice to see such fine young men taking their jobs seriously!"

After a long stream of compliments, Aang finally heard the door close. He got up and went to the main room of the house. "Thank you sir, you didn't have to protect me like that."

"Nonsense, boy. If the Fire Nation is becoming aggressive again, who better to oppose them than the one who took them down last time? Besides, I'm not sure the world can take another hundred years of war." The old man winked as he said the last part and Aang, having come to terms with the fact that he ran away long ago, chuckled and nodded.

"Alright sir, I'll be leaving now, so as not to cause you any more trouble."

"Come back any time, Avatar. You're always welcome here."

* * *

-_The Inn-_

Bumi woke Ty Lee early in the morning, and she was ready to go in a heartbeat. They began the journey to find Aang anew, with renewed vigor. They scoured every nook and cranny that they passed, with no luck. Finally, after what felt like hours of searching, they came upon a lone house in the wilderness. Ty decided that she could leave no stone unturned, and so the risk of a fight was a necessary one.

She knocked at the door, and an old man answered. He saw Bumi and a twinkle lit his eyes. "Bumi, King of Omashu. You keep us old geezers from looking too bad. what can I do for you?"

Bumi gave a wild smile at the man's instant recognition of him, before his face became grim with severity. "We are searching for the Avatar. He is our friend, but due to certain complications, we seem to have lost him.

It was the old man's turn to look severe now. "He stayed here last night, but he left hours ago, I'm afraid. That boy has been through so much at such a young age, it's a wonder he hasn't gone mad by now."

Ty Lee was elated. They had a lead! "Which way did he go, sir?

"That way," the old man said, pointing in the direction Aang had left in.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She couldn't even hope to perceive how pink her aura was right then. "Come on Bumi! Let's go!"

"Alright, alright." Bumi chuckled as he began to earthboard towards what may have been Aang's only trail.

* * *

-_The Northern Air Temple-_

Aang had traveled for hours, but he was finally here. The Northern Air Temple seemed like the most amazing place in the world after his long travels. He called out, "Teo!" manipulating air currents to carry his voice farther than normally possible.

Soon, the handicapped boy had explode out of the doors to greet his old friend. "Aang! How are you?"

"Not great, Teo, Not great. Azula has gained the Fire Nation throne, and plots are brewing. Plots that, if I don't stop them, could easily lead to another war. I lost my glider a while ago, and I need another."

Teo's face became grim at the mention of a new war. "No problem, Aang. Anything to keep the peace."

"Thanks, Teo." Aang stayed there for a while, but he knew he couldn't linger for long, or he would attract unwanted attention to the temple. Once he had deemed it necessary to leave, he said his goodbyes to Teo, The Engineer, and the rest of the temple's inhabitants and took off.

Despite the gravity of his situation, Aang couldn't help but grin as he flew over the Earth Kingdom. He always felt like this when he flew. Soon enough he was lost in the clouds.

Eventually, He heard a rumbling sound from beneath him, sharply jolting him back into reality. Inspecting the source, he saw Ty riding on a slab of rock with... _Wait, is that Bumi? _As he started to descend, he wavered, remembering the moment before Azula captured him. He was not absolutely sure, but he thought that Ty had been about to kiss him. If she was or not, Aang needed to sort out his feelings. Reluctantly, he created an updraft and glided away.

He needed a person to talk to. Someone to help him with the monumental task of handling his emotions. The only person he could think of to help him right now was Paku, who was also conveniently located not too far from here. He veered off and began his none too long journey to the Northern Water Tribe.

About an hour later, Aang arrived. He used waterbending to enter, then headed straight for Paku's training area. As he had expected, Paku was there. "Maser Paku!" he cried.

"Must you always be so loud, Aang?" Paku asked, but he couldn't hide a smile.

"Master Paku, Katara's dead. So is Sokka. Toph, Appa, Momo, all of them. Even Zuko. Azula's taken over. She captured and tortured me. Obviously, I escaped, but I need your help."

"With what, Child?" Paku's face was grim.

Aang related the entire story with regards to Ty Lee, explaining that he needed to sort out how he felt about her before taking on Azula.

* * *

-_Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom-_

Ty and Bumi were trapped. There had been an ambush waiting in the next town. They fought the novice firebenders off easily, but there were too many, and soon Bumi was down. That was it. Seeing Bumi dead on the ground broke Ty Lee. She sank to her knees, sobbing and cried, "Where are you Aang?"

A dark figure emerged from the shadows, slowly approaching the scene.

"Why hello there, Ty Lee." Azula smirked.

* * *

-_Northern Water Tribe-_

"Aang, I'm hardly experienced in dealing with emotional problems."

"Please, Master Paku, you're the only one who can help me."

"Alright, fine." Paku sighed. "First, do you love the girl?"

"I don't know."

"Well there's your first problem. Think for a minute, then tell me what you come up with."

Aang did so, nodded, and said, "I do, but..."

"But...?"

"But I loved Katara, and it seems wrong that I could love someone else so soon."

"Love is a fickle thing, Aang. It has its own life, its own soul, even as you have yours. It does not cater to your will, but rather ignores your other emotions completely. Love outshines all, but it also strives to shine brighter. It is impossible to deny love forever, and yet it is as impossible to force oneself to love another."

Aang was humbled. "Thank you, Master Paku."

Just then, a messenger ran to Aang. "Avatar! Word has spread that the King of Omashu was killed, and a female traveling with him taken prisoner by the Firelord."

Aang was strangely calm, but to Paku, it wasn't strange at all. The boy had come to terms with himself.

Aang's face was serious and grim. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

**Alright, guys. I'm really sorry this update took so long, but life, as well as school, swept me up again, and when I got back, I had writer's block. It's here now though, so let's rejoice.**


	8. Hope

**Hi guys. It's been too long, I know. I'm sorry to the few of you who like this story for waiting around like this, But I just couldn't think of anything. The good news is, I'm back now. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter 8: Hope_**  
**

* * *

_-Northern Water Tribe-_

Aang ate a small meal, still recovering from his malnutrition, then he collected his glider and set off, finally ready to confront the insane Firebender who ruined his life.

_Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Appa, Momo, Bumi... Azula has taken away the people I care about one by one. She has to receive punishment, or I will go mad. This isn't just about revenge anymore. This is about saving the world from a rage-filled, psychopathic, all-powerful Avatar._

_Be ready, Azula. I won't lose anyone else._

* * *

_-Underground Bunker, Location Unknown-_

_-Day 1-_

_Why, Aang? Why weren't you there?_

Ty Lee was all but dead. She hung limp, wrists and ankles bound to the wall opposite of her cell door. Her face was wet with a disgusting mixture of tears and sweat, and she had only shredded rags tied around her upper torso and her waist as clothing. She would have had nothing, except that Azula, knowing how Ty often used her looks to her advantage in situations like this, wanted the guards to keep from getting any ideas. Her eyes, on the rare occasion that she opened them, were void of the sparkling and enduring cheerfulness that had never left them until now, and her Face no longer bore the smile that had seemed permanently fixed upon it just a few weeks ago. Just the day after she was taken, and Ty Lee was battered, beaten, bruised, and broken. The 4 B's of imprisonment. She almost managed a chuckle at that, but no sound came out. her voice was hoarse from all the screaming she had done last night. Azula didn't need to torture Ty. She was doing it to herself.

Just as Ty finished attempting to laugh for the last time, Her cell door creaked open, and the "Fire Empress", as she was now calling herself, entered. "Hello, Ty Lee, my peachy little acrobat." She saw the look on the face of the prisoner, and giggled, "Aw, what's wrong, Ty sweetie? Did you think that your little Airbender friend would come and rescue you at the last minute? Were you hoping he'd swoop in and take you away from it all?" Her tone was as condescending as seemed humanly possible. She kept talking, moving across the room as she did so, "Did you want him to take you somewhere that there was no violence? Did you want him to end the war singlehandedly? Look at me!" She lifted Ty Lee's chin and forced the girl to look her in the eyes, "Did you want him to be the hero from every fairy tale of your childhood? Did you want him to do this?" Without warning, the Firebending Prodigy closed the distance between their faces, causing Ty to finally show an emotion.

It was really more of a combination of emotions, really. Shock, disgust, hatred, and despair, but most of all, longing. As Azula's silver tongue forced it's way past the acrobat's lips, Ty couldn't help but think that the words rang true. She did not long for Azula. No, she wished that all of that had happened. She wished that she were anywhere else, with Aang's mouth on hers, rather than the insane Fire Empress' . For a moment, giving in to that fantasy, she kissed back, before remembering that it was not the boy in front of her, but the sadist.

The momentary cave in resistance did not go unnoticed by Azula, and she was slightly disoriented by Ty's eagerness. It was enough to cause her to break the kiss. "So that's how it is, huh, Ty? We'll have to do this again, sometime." She deliberately swayed her hips in a way that would have been considered sexy had it not been Azula performing the action, and walked out of the cell, only to be greeted by several of the guards who had come to watch the show, and were now disappointed that it was ending. She turned back towards her new prisoner, "You know, it's funny. When I captured your little boyfriend, I told him that my father had taken too many prisoners, and that I would kill everyone who opposed me. I think I'll make an exception to that. I rather like you as a prisoner, my rag-wrapped beauty. She winked and moved away from the cell, telling the guards that Ty was hers, and anyone who touched her would promptly have his manhood removed in a very slow, very painful manner, just before his death.

Ty Lee, the amazing acrobat, the innocent sweetheart, the cheerful girl, was gone. She had been replaced by Ty Lee, the mindless victim, the shackled zombie, the crying languisher.

Ty Lee was dying.

* * *

-_Above the Fire Nation-_

_Damn it Azula, where are you?_

Aang had been flying for the past three hours, with no indication of the Fire Nation's Tyrant. He had flown directly from the Water Tribe to the Fire nation capital, expecting her to have taken Ty there. He was wrong. There was no sign of Azula, Ty Lee, or anyone else. When he realized he was getting nowhere, he decided to try a different approach. He gradually descended, landing fluidly and starting a land search for the last person in the world he cared for. He asked a woman if Azula was in the city, but before she had a chance to respond, he was redirecting a fireball that was about to collide with her face.

Aang turned to see at least ten soldiers standing in formation, ready to attack him with all their might. He stood calmly in front of them, waiting for the next attack. It came. It always did. He drew water from some nearby fruit a vendor was selling to disable the assault and bind the soldiers' hands, and in doing so accidentally invented the raisin. The vendor tasted this new fruit and decided he liked it. He promptly went to find some people willing to invest in his new fruit, which eventually led to the formation of a market economy and capitalism in the Fire Nation, with the raisin vendor becoming the first multi-billionaire, but that's a tale for another day.

Aang only drew enough water to bind a few guards, and so the rest kept coming. He blasted them back against the wall, knocking most of them unconscious. However, one man stood back up. This man ran at Aang and unleashed quite the fireball. Aang easily deflected it and froze him from the feet to the neck. The soldier refused to give up, though, and began to spit fire at the Avatar. Aang simply froze his mouth so that he could be done with the whole ordeal and turned back to the woman to ask once again if Azula was in the city. The terrified lady quickly shoo her head no, and Aang began to leave. Suddenly, a tendril of flame came at him from behind. The soldier had thawed himself out using amplified heat in his breath.

The combination of frustration at this man for not simply giving up and instinctive fear caused what happened next. The tendril reminded Aang subconsciously of Azula's whip, and so he lashed out. He raised a chunk of earth and threw it at the soldier, knocking him flat onto his back and causing him to lose consciousness. Aang, however, did not stop. He pulled water from an onlooker's gourd and whipped the soldier with it repeatedly, creating long gashes in his armor, some of which began to produce blood. Aang released the water and pushed the man high into the air before dropping him, headfirst, directly to the ground. The Avatar still would not stop. He blasted the soldier with flames hotter than any besides Azula's, for long enough that when Aang finally let up, very near entering the Avatar state, the soldier was little more than a cooked husk, conveniently already on a plate.

Aang started in horror at the work of what seemed to be some alternate personality. _I wouldn't have done this. I couldn't have done this. This was not me! I did not kill this man!_ And yet, there he was, dead, with only one person around who could bend all four elements. Aang took his glider and walked briskly away from the gathering crowd, soon breaking into a run and then simply flying away, tears streaming down his face. Aang had killed a man. He had gone against his vows as a monk. He was changing as a person, so drastically that he could not even recognize himself anymore. he didn't want to know what he would be like when this was all over.

* * *

-_Underground Bunker, Location Unknown-_

_-Day 2-_

Azula seemed different when she came in today. Almost... happy. Not that Ty cared, of course. She came in and immediately started with the weird stuff again, but this time Ty was prepared. The Fire Empress' tongue never passed her lips. If there was one thing Ty Lee would still stand up for, it was that she was Aang's, and Aang's alone. Even if she died because of it.

Azula didn't like that. She wasn't getting anywhere with the psyche abuse, so she would have to resort to physical violence. Nothing as serious as with the Avatar, of course. She didn't want to permanently damage the beautiful body of her future toy. She slapped Ty around a bit, and then used a knife to make some small scratches. Nothing that wouldn't heal, of course. Just enough to break her a little bit more. After she had her fun, she left, repeating her threat to the guards. She then ordered them to chain her to the floor instead of the wall, to reward her for being such a good prisoner. They did so, without a word.

As they let her down from the wall, Ty considered escape, but she saw the look on Azula's face. Azula wanted her to try and run. She didn't really see why, but she didn't care, either. So she did nothing, out of simple spite. Azula simply turned and walked away with a smug look on her face. Ty hadn't realized how little circulation she'd gotten to her hands and feet until the moment the shackles came off. The blood rushed through her body so quickly she could have sworn someone was bloodbending. She breathed an audible sigh of relief as her limbs began to feel much better, and then the shackles were back, but they didn't hurt as much this time.

Ty had begun to feel a small bit of hope. The fact that Azula was here, tormenting her, meant that the Fire Empress did not want to confront the Avatar. Aang scared Azula, which meant that there was a possibility of him showing up to rescue Ty. That was the one thing that kept Ty Lee going. Hope. Sometimes she wished she could get rid of it, but it would never leave her. No matter how cynical she tried to be about her situation, the hope cracked through her barrier like sunshine through a cloud. So, eventually, she came to accept the hope, and embrace it. Even as Azula tortured her, Ty could feel the hope growing and multiplying on its own, trying to bring her back to her former self. She had to fight it for now, just to keep Azula from realizing that she wasn't broken.

* * *

-_A Town Near the Northern Air Temple-__  
_

Aang glided into town and immediately saw the casket. On the top of it were large, painted letters that said, "Bumi, King of Omashu. His dying wish was to be buried with Momo. Aang Teared up. Half because his friend had died, and half because Bumi had remained a crazy old bastard until the end.

Aang went to the nearest person, who happened to be a clothing vendor, and asked if he knew where Azula had gone. The man replied quickly, stating that he didn't know, but they had bought some clothes from him. He distinctly remembered that sale, because the group had bought thin, light clothes even though it was bordering on winter. In that instant, Aang knew where Azula was. He knew where he needed to go.

Just as he began to walk out of the town, a man walked towards the casket and began to open it. Aang was startled, and asked, "Sir, what are you doing?"

"Bumi deserves to be fed to the Buzzard Wasps. He collaborated with the Avatar and his accomplices. He has committed treason against Empress Azula!"

"Okay, first off, do you not see the arrows? I am the Avatar, idiot. Secondly, Empress? I thought Firelord was androgynous."

"The Empress may do as she wishes. As for the fact that you're the Avatar..." The man shot a blast of fire at Aang, which was promptly blown away.

Aang was getting tired of all of the random people trying to kill him. It was getting pretty boring. He blasted away fireball after fireball. The water in the air around him made a good set of ice bindings for the man's hands, but he was stronger than he looked, and broke them with ease. He launched a huge volley of flames at Aang, which was actually difficult to redirect, but he managed.

Then it came. The lightning flew at him, seemingly just appearing from the smoke. He remembered Zuko's training, and took the lightning into his body, feeling the charge it gave him. That feeling of touching death was something he hadn't felt since he was in Azula's cell. Suddenly, he remembered the last time a man had been this persistent. Aang didn't want to kill any more. He turned and flew away, mid fight.

_I am not Azula._

* * *

**Alright, guys, there it is. Three guesses where Azula is. Hoping to update again by the end of the week. Also, I still like reviews.**_  
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